Post by Coach Campbell on Jul 4, 2013 14:13:50 GMT

Here is an article that came from Leadership Wired by John Maxwell

THE PATHWAY TO FREEDOM: RESILIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITYToday is Fourth of July and I am proud to be an American, grateful for the liberties of my country, and thankful for the beauty of the land in which I live. In wondering about the future of this great nation, I am comforted by its historical resilience. I also am inspired by the courageous leaders who, time and again, have shouldered the responsibility of keeping America prosperous and free.George Washington embodied the two leadership qualities, resilience and responsibility, which I see as indispensable to America's continuance as a leader of the free world. Both traits are well-documented in George Washington's Leadership Lessons by James C. Rees. I have drawn upon his work in creating this article, and I highly recommend the book.

RESILIENCEGreat leaders are not immune to failure, but they refuse to let their mistakes sink them. As a general, George Washington lost more battles than he won during the American Revolution. Being outnumbered was not always to blame. Sometimes, Washington simply exercised poor judgment as a commander.

How did Washington bounce back from defeat? First, he managed his losses so that the British Army could never strike a decisive blow. Washington did not abandon hope, and he thus prevented isolated setbacks from sending him into the sort of downward emotional spiral that often accompanies a losing streak. Second, he learned from his losses so that he was better prepared for future battles. We remember George Washington as a commanding presence—the one man all of the Founding Fathers would look to when facing a difficult decision. In reality, Washington initially was plagued by hesitancy on the battlefield, waiting too long to determine a course of action. However, to his credit Washington recognized his flaws, and with time he consciously became more decisive when leading military engagements.

Questions for Leaders(1) As a leader, how do you determine whether to redouble your efforts to turn around a losing strategy or whether to cut your losses and come up with a new plan?(2) How have past mistakes or failures propelled you forward?

RESPONSIBILITYWhether male or female, black or white, Republican or Democrat, throughout history American leaders have exhorted the nation to take on the responsibilities that come with freedom. Consider the following quotations."Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."~ Thomas Paine (American revolutionary)"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt (First Lady of the United States)"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."~ Martin Luther King, Jr. (Leader in American Civil Rights Movement)"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved."

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic President of the United States)"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."~ Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican President of the United States)"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."~ Ronald Reagan (Republican President of the United States)"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

~ John F. Kennedy (Democratic President of the United States)In stepping forward as commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Army, George Washington willingly accepted the most difficult leadership assignment in American history. Up against the most powerful and professionally trained military on earth, the British Army, Washington commanded a chronically ill-equipped, ragtag band of volunteer enlistees. He repeatedly suffered defeat on the battlefield and constantly had to guard against the despair and hopelessness of his beleaguered troops. Even with the odds stacked against him, Washington bravely shouldered his responsibility as general of the Revolutionary Army. Eventually he led the way to victory by demonstrating dogged persistence and by showing courage in the face of adversity.Once the war had ended, Washington became the first President of the United States. Realizing his actions would set precedents for decades to come, Washington responsibly exercised his influence and restrained the power of his position. Most notably, he voluntarily resigned after two terms in office. By declining a third term, Washington modeled the peaceful transfer of power to subsequent generations of leaders.

Questions for leaders(1) What arduous or unpleasant responsibilities will you have to accept in order to move your team/organization forward?(2) As a leader, you're constantly under a microscope. People are paying close attention to how you use the power and authority at your disposal. Who's watching you? What do they see?CONCLUSIONWhat I find heartening about George Washington's example is that the leadership lessons he etched in history are so accessible. He wasn't overly talented, nor was he blessed with an easy road to the top. Rather, he was remarkably resilient and responsible—two traits anyone can develop. In the words of historian David McCullough,"He [Washington] was not a brilliant strategist or tactician, not a gifted orator, not an intellectual. At several crucial moments he had shown marked indecisiveness. He had made serious mistakes in judgment. But experience had been his great teacher from boyhood, and in this his greatest test [the American Revolution], he learned steadily from experience. Above all, Washington never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up."As we celebrate Independence Day, I certainly don't have the recipe for getting America back on track. However, I do know that the resilience and responsibility displayed by George Washington are two of the essential ingredients

Post by Coach Campbell on Aug 1, 2013 10:19:56 GMT

Kyle Haskell

I think the most important thing for any coach when implementing a 365 day program plan is to have a clear vision from beginning to end. The things that are done on day one will ultimately affect the things on day 365. It is important to keep this in mind and build a plan that reflects that. Every decision that is made must be made for a reason and help get to the next step in the journey. The coach should see the value in the activity and its assistance towards the natural progression and ultimate goal. If all the activities and decisions align with the goal and mission of the team it will allow for each phase of the plan to be effective.

It is also extremely important when making a plan to then communicate the plan as well as the rationale to its key stake holders. These stakeholders are the other coaches, players, and parents. Having each one of these groups understand the plan but also their role in it will get them to buy in and commit whole heartedly. A plan is nothing without those to execute it. Making sure that happens is critical to success.

Finally the last key piece is organization. Having goals and ideas are great but there must be plan in place on how each one of those ideas will be achieved and implemented. You must not merely ask the "what" but more importantly the how. Once we understand how to accomplish something it is only then that you can take the steps to make it happen.

There are countless pieces to a football program and its year round plan. The key to success is to have a vision that connects all the phases of the plan in a logical way, gives rationale for the key players to buy in, and to have a plan on how to accomplish each phase of that plan. It is never an easy road but this is the first step on the journey.

Post by Coach Campbell on Oct 27, 2019 14:05:25 GMT

Elliott Pater

Having a leadership program with an athletic team can go a long way. Teaching character and leadership to players can bring a lot of success to a program. In my program, I would use a Wednesday after practice, mid-week meeting to implement this program. Pros of this program include that your team will have more established leaders that can guide younger or newer players. The captains especially will benefit from this program, as the whole team will become more understanding of leadership principles and will become easier to lead. Another benefit of this program would be that it ensures that your players develop as more than just athletes, as character and leadership can be used long throughout their lives.

One con of this program may be that if your team is restless, or easily distracted, another meeting may just go right over their heads. Another con may be that younger players think that they may know enough to not have to listen to the older leaders any more. I do not believe that there are many cons beyond that, as a character and leadership program can be tremendous for a team to implement.

Post by Coach Campbell on Oct 27, 2019 14:10:49 GMT

Ty Bishop

Implementing a leadership and character academy is essential in shaping the program to match the mission and vision. Football and athletics in general is about so much more than just winning and losing. We have the opportunity to mold and shape the leaders of tomorrow. The players in your program are your ambassadors between the program and not only the school, but the community. It is important to make sure your ambassadors represent the program in a positive light. In "The Huddle", our version of leadership academy, we use a combination of philosophy and information from team building books authored by Harvey Dorfman, Jeff Janssen, and John Maxwell. We will create a weekly newsletter highlighting a principle we think is important and spend a few minutes everyday discussing the newsletter. After leaving the team meeting room, we will meet on the mat before practice begins for a "Two Minute Drill" delivered by a rotating speaker over the character quality of the day. After each workout, we choose an athlete that possesses the daily character trait to address the team and reflect. It is fun watching the kids have the opportunity to stand and address their team in a leadership type position.